Month End: September Snapshot

This month, I was able to reduce the credit card debt, and I continue to make the scheduled payments to the term loans on time without issue. If you’ve consolidated your debt into a loan that is set to pay off, continue to make your payments on time. It’s important in general to make your payments on time, because missing payments will affect your credit score. If your payment due date isn’t in line with your cash flow for the month, it’s important to contact your credit card company or lender as soon as possible to see if they can change the payment due date. Changing the payment due date may require signing new loan documents or verbally agreeing to the change, but it’s important to contact your creditors as soon as possible if you are faced with a life event that can affect payments to them. I don’t recommend ignoring or avoiding the situation. The worst-case scenario is you can have liens and or judgements placed against you. If you find that your fixed expenses are more than 50% of your take home pay you are at risk to losing your assets. To clarify fixed expenses are rent/mortgage payments, utilities, insurance, subscriptions, phone payments, and any other monthly reoccurring transactions. These payments should not be greater than 50%, because it gives you no room to save money and reduce your debt. For example, if you make a $1,000 a month and your fixed expenses is $600 per month then you are at risk, simply because if you have any type of emergency you may have to borrow to cover the emergency. If your fixed expenses are greater than 50% you are more likely to stay in debt. Personally, I continue to do my plan of reducing debt and increasing income. I may use a balance transfer option to take advantage of the promotional balance transfer rate to continue to accelerate my debt reduction. Next month, I’ll discuss three strategies you can use to reduce debt.

If you want to learn more about how I’m increasing my income, while reducing debt or if you want to have someone to discuss your debt reduction strategy with, or if you need a financial check-up, contact me.